Media release—Funding to help bring international collections to our shores

7 February 2024

Eligible collecting and touring institutions are invited to apply for funding to bring international art and cultural collection material to Australian audiences, with the latest round of the Australian Government International Exhibitions Insurance Program now open.

The program offers grants to offset the cost of insurance for eligible exhibitions, delivering approximately $2.7 million each year.

By supporting the staging of major exhibitions at Australian venues, the program increases audience access to significant overseas cultural material that they would not otherwise have an opportunity to view or experience.

Previous grants have supported the popular Shakespeare to Winehouse exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia and also enabled larger exhibitions such as Discovering Ancient Egypt to tour to audiences in the ACT, Western Australia and Queensland.

Applications are open to Commonwealth, state and territory government collecting institutions; incorporated not-for-profit public collecting institutions; and incorporated not-for-profit bodies specialising in touring large art and cultural exhibitions.

To be eligible, the cultural material in exhibitions must have a minimum value of AUD $25 million for fine art exhibitions or AUD $10 million for museological exhibitions. The proposal can be for either multiple or single venue exhibitions, and insurance cover may apply to multiple or single items within an exhibition that meets the minimum value threshold.

For more information and to apply, visit Australian Government International Exhibitions Insurance Program | Office for the Arts or GrantConnect (grants.gov.au).